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Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is an activist movement to protest systemic racism in the policing of African Americans. The movement began in 2013 when the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was promoted on social media to build unity after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of an unarmed African-American teen, Trayvon Martin. It became nationally recognized for its street demonstrations the following year after the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York. Movement organizers have held rallies to protest the police killings of black people as well as to raise awareness for racial disparities in the context of criminal profiling, police brutality, and perceived racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system. Its founders, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, expanded their project into a national network of over 30 local chapters between 2014 and 2016, however, the overall movement is a decentralized network and has no formal hierarchy. The following represents the members of Kappa Alpha Psi, who have a connection to the overall movement. Victims Charlottesville, Virginia In March 2015, Martese Johnson (Eta Sigma, 2013) was a junior at the University of Virginia when he was slammed to the ground and arrested by officers from the Alcoholic Beverage Control unit outside of Trinity Irish Pub, a local bar in Charlottesville, Virginia. The officers suspected him of being an underaged drinker, and producing fraudulent identification. The incident was captured via cell phone photo and posted to social media a day later. The #JusticeForMartese hashtag went viral and trended nationally within 24 hours. Johnson was charged with two misdemeanor offenses and held on $1,500 bail, which was posted the next morning. His attorney, Daniel Watkins, filed a motion to dismiss the charges, citing a “lack of reasonable suspicion to detain" his client. Two months later, prosecutors dropped all charges. No disciplinary action was taken against officers Jared Miller, Thomas Custer, John Cielakie, nor Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Shawn Walker, who was the arresting officer. Johnson is black; the officers and their supervisor are white. In February 2016, attorneys for Johnson filed a $3 million lawsuit against the defendants, personally, and against the department, citing claims of excessive force and gross negligence. The civil case is expected to go to trial in July 2017. Montgomery, Alabama In February 2016, Gregory Gunn (Beta Zeta, 1981) was confronted by Montgomery Police Officer Aaron C. Smith, for walking in the middle of the night in the Mobile Heights neighborhood of West Montgomery, Alabama. Gunn, a resident of Mobile Heights, immediately ran, after which the officer drew his weapon, shot, and killed Gunn. According to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, Gunn was tased three times, beaten with a baton, and shot five times, from a total of seven rounds fired from the officer's sidearm. In the proceeding days, advocates of Black Lives Matter and supporters of Greg Gunn staged a protest march on the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. In early March 2016, a district judge found probable cause to charge Officer Smith, who was arrested and held on $150,000 bail. Termination proceedings were immediately underway for Smith, which is municipal policy for any employee in the wake of a felony arrest. In November 2018, an Alabama grand jury indicted Smith on a murder charge in connection with the shooting death of Gregory Gunn. No indication was given regarding the exact charge and no trial date has been set. The family of Greg Gunn has also indicated plans to file a wrongful death suit against the Montgomery Police Department. Attorneys Brooklyn, New York Criminal defense attorney Royce Russell (Iota Rho, 1985) represented the family of Ramarley Graham, a Bronx, New York, resident who, in February 2012, was shot by NYPD narcotics enforcement officer Richard Haste. Graham was followed from a nearby bodega to his apartment, where the shooting took place. Initial police statements indicated that Graham was deliberately fleeing from the officers, but they were amended after surveillance video emerged showing Graham walking at a leisurely pace. It was unclear if he was even aware that he was being followed by police officers. The pursuit continued after Graham entered his apartment. Officers gained entry to the building and kicked down Graham's front door, which caused him to hide in the bathroom. Officer Haste opened the bathroom door and testified that "he saw Graham reaching for a gun in his waistband," causing the officer to fire his weapon and kill the teen. No weapon was recovered. Officer Haste was immediately placed on modified duty and indicted for manslaughter four months later by a grand jury. Bronx County Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett later vacated the manslaughter, ruling that the prosecution had given flawed instructions to the grand jury. In April 2013, prosecutors presented evidence before a second grand jury, who declined to re-indict Officer Haste. Russell, a partner at Emdin Russell in New York, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the New York Police Department. In January 2015, a settlement was reached, calling for the NYPD to pay a total of $3.9 million to Graham's estate, his brother, his mother, and his grandmother. North Charleston, South Carolina Criminal defense attorney L. Chris Stewart (Beta Iota, 1997) represents the family of Walter S. Scott, an unarmed black man who was shot by then-North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager in April 2015. The case drew national attention when cell phone video footage of the shooting emerged that contradicted the officer's police report. A South Carolina grand jury indicted the officer for murder in June 2015, and he was held in police custody until a $500,000 bond was posted in January 2016. The case was presented before a jury of six white men, give white women, and one black man in November 2016, resulting in a mistrial. Stewart, the managing partner at Stewart, Seay & Felton in Atlanta, Georgia, negotiated with the City of North Charleston on behalf of the Scott family. In October 2015, before the criminal trial was even schedule, an announcement was made that the civil litigation resulted in a settlement of $6.5 million. This amount tops the $5.9 million paid to the family of Eric Garner by the City of New York, and the $6.5 million paid to the family of Freddie Gray by the City of Baltimore. Local prosecutors have vowed to retry the case. Baton Rouge, Louisiana Chris Stewart (Beta Iota, 1997) was also hired to represent the family of Alton Sterling, an African American who was fatally shot by police in July 2015. Sterling was approached by Baton Rouge Police Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II in response to complaints about his selling bootlegged music CDs outside a local convenience store. After Sterling was tackled to the ground, one of the officers drew his weapon and shot Sterling from point blank range. A firearm was recovered from the victim's front right pocket. Bystander video of the incident showed that Sterling was under complete police control at the time he was shot, undermining the officers's claim of threat. One of the officers can be seen brandishing his firearm, pointing it at Sterling, and threatening to shoot if he moved. The footage was posted to social media, sparking national outrage and days of protest from BlackLivesMatter activists. Bamberg and Stewart expect to file lawsuits against the City of Baton Rouge, however no time frame has been set. Stewart's law partner, Justin Bamberg, is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; he is also believed to be a distant cousin of Willie J. Bamberg (Tampa FL Alumni, 1991). Both are natives of Bamberg County, South Carolina. Law Enforcement Sanford, Florida In February 2012, then-Senior Grand Vice Polemarch Thomas Battles (Alpha Xi, 1973) was called upon to to defuse public unrest in the aftermath of the the shooting of Trayvon Martin. As a federal mediator for the United States Department of Justice, he is credited with helping the city create a nine-point plan for improving race and police relations. By tapping into the city’s faith community to help guide the healing, Battles was able to avoid riots and violence that would surely ensue. Ferguson, Missouri In August 2014, Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson (Beta Nu, 1983), was named commander of Ferguson operations of the highway patrol, in the aftermath of the police shooting of Michael Brown. A day earlier, the unarmed teen was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. The shooting sparked multiple nights of protests from local activists, the National Action Network, and Black Lives Matter supporters. To address the concerns of a national audience, Captain Johnson participated in extensive community engagement efforts and became the public face for the police response. He conducted media interviews and posed for selfies with protesters, including members of Kappa Alpha Psi. On August 19, 2014, CNN published an erroneous story sourced on its iReporter platform that suggested Captain Johnson was a member of the Bloods, a west coast gang. The story was based on a picture that surfaced on social media of Captain Johnson striking a ceremonial pose with a fellow member of Kappa Alpha Psi. A day later, the allegation was debunked by former Washington Post columnist and HBCU alumna, Soraya Nadia McDonald. Protesters San Francisco, California Throughout the 2016 National Football League preseason, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Collin Kaepernick (Xi Phi, 2010) sat during the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner ''anthem. During a post-game interview following the third preseason context, Kaepernick explained his position stating, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." Earlier in the week, the quarterback had been seen at practice wearing socks adorned with cartoon policemen depicted as pigs. In the 49ers's final preseason game on September 1, 2016, Kaepernick opted to kneel during the national anthem rather than sit as he did in their previous games, in a show of respect to former and current military personnel. This protest lasted throughout the entire 2016 NFL season, ending on March 2, 2017, at the start of free agency. Kaepernick received support from President Obama, while National Football League officials have remained relatively silent, except to assert first amendment rights. In the following weeks, Kaepernick's football jersey became the top-selling jersey on the NFL's official shop website. The protest, however, sparked a barrage of criticism from fans and broadcasters, many of whom have taken to social media to voice their dissapproval. But his protest continues. Two police shootings of unarmed black men in September 2016 likely bolstered support for his protest while silencing some critics. In an interview with ''Al Jazeera in the aftermath of the Terence Crutcher shooting, Kaepernick replied, "this is a perfect example of what this is about." Denver Colorado On September 8, 2016, Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall (Xi Phi, 2011) became the third National Football League player to join in protest of American police brutality and racism by kneeling during the national anthem before the season opener. Two days later, Air Academy Federal Credit Union dropped an advertising endorsement deal with Marshall. He was also dropped by CenturyLink. On November 6, 2016. Marshall ended his protest, citing his other efforts to raise awareness and address the important topic of police brutality. Journalists National Political commentator Marc Lamont Hill (Abington-Ambler PA Alumni, 2011) has emerged as one of the leading voices on race in America. He is formally a professor of African American Studies at Morehouse College. On VH1Live and HuffPost Live, two news shows he anchors, as well as on CNN, where he serves as a political contributor, Hill has advocated on behalf of BlackLivesMatter activists. He is the author of four books, the most recent one, Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond, which became a New York Times Best Seller. National New York Times columnist Charles Blow (Gamma Psi, 1989) has written extensively on Black Lives Matter, using his platform, as a print and television news journalist, to draw mainstream attention to the movement. Ferguson, Missouri Former New York Times columnist Jonathan Hicks visited his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, to offer support BlackLivesMatter protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. His father, John H. Hicks, was the first black reporter at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and he instilled in his son the importance of documenting black history as it happens. Hicks leveraged that advice in covering New York City politics with the Times and the Amsterdam Morning News. In Ferguson, Hicks mentored young journalists and offered support in helping them control the manner in which the protests are reported. Updates If you have an update to this page, please send an email to the Nupepedia Project Team.